Watch your step! Parks Service alerts Smoky Mountains visitors about beetles rolling balls of POOP across the trails
- A video shared alongside the post shows a up-close look at one of these insects
- The bugs stand on their forelimbs and use hind legs to kick a ball of animal scat
- Tumblebugs, or dung beetles, lay egg inside each ball of dung where it develops
Hikers visiting the Smoky Mountains are well aware that they must come ready for wildlife sightings, be it black bears or one of the hundreds of bird species that make their homes in the national park.
But, the latest alert from the National Parks Service may get a chuckle from even the best-prepared visitors.
On Facebook, the organization gave tourists the heads-up about tumblebug activity on the trails – that is, balls of animal poop that may roll into your path.
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There are several species of tumblebugs – also known as dung beetle – throughout the Smoky Mountains region. Not only is their odd behavior important for their survival, but the experts say the rest of the ecosystem benefits, too. The Parks Service shared a video of the activity
The alert spotted this week by the Charlotte Observer clarifies that these tumbling balls of dung are just another part of the Smoky Mountains ecosystem.
A video shared alongside the post shows a fascinating up-close look at one of these insects in action as it stands on its forelimbs and uses its hind legs to kick a neat parcel of scat to a new location.
To the bugs, dung left behind by other animals plays a critical role in reproduction.
‘This tumblebug is one of many beetles found in the Smokies that relies on animal scat to complete its life cycle,’ according to the Facebook post from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
‘The female tumblebug will lay only one egg inside each ball of dung, allowing the developing larvae to have all the resources they need without having to compete with their siblings.
‘The male will help bury the balls of dung in the ground for safekeeping.’
Hikers visiting the Smoky Mountains are well aware that they must come ready for wildlife sightings, be it black bears or one of the hundreds of bird species that make their homes in the national park. That even includes dung beetles. File photo
There are several species of tumblebugs – also known as dung beetle – throughout the Smoky Mountains region.
Not only is their odd behavior important for their survival, but the experts say the rest of the ecosystem benefits, too.
‘Dung beetles and tumblebugs do us a great service by keeping the trails clean and aiding in decomposition,’ the Facebook post adds.
So, if you come across a dung beetle hard at work on the trails, it’s best to just let it carry on in peace.
